New catagory-corsets.

[wdunn5454]

I think it is about time to consider corsets in a category all their own.  There are so many types that they will probably need sub-categories. Corsets have not been simply "underwear" for years now.

They are worn frequently as vests or tops, over jeans, skirts and dresses. Some are even "special occasion wear" such as weddings or other social events.  The category selection that  exists now makes searching for a certain type of corset a daunting task. Eg: are they steel boned or plastic? are they real corsets or just "fashion corsets"?or are they just bedroom wear? Are they real leather or fake(vegan) leather. If you do a search yourself you will see how bad the problem has gotten.

NEW CATEGORIES PLEASE..........

[almond_t]

Sometimes sellers' unintentionally sabotage themselves by displaying photos that are detrimental to their sales.

Perhaps your corsets don't smell like they came from a smoker's home, but I, for one, would not  even consider purchasing textiles from you after seeing the photo captioned  re selling on Ebay, and holding a lit cigarette in hand.

Not long ago, a well-respected forum member/mentor here had the onerous job of having to tell someone that if they were going to photograph their items in the bedroom, they should at least make the bed, or it would turn prospective buyers off.  Far from being considered 'petty',  that was probably the most useful piece of advice that seller ever received.  

Even worse than the perceived ' slobbiness' of an unmade bed - undergarments that may smell ... unfresh.

[almond_t]

I made a correction, and added to post prior post, but it did not appear...

I had added :

JMPO - from a buyer's perspective 

( seems to be an iPad issue)

[pocomocomputing]

Not an iPad issue.

I have found that if you create a post, then preview it and then go back to edit and revise, all changes are lost after the Preview. I posted the bug in the weekly eBay session and on the USA site weeks ago and nothing done yet.

[pocomocomputing]

I am using Windows XP with FireFox 18.0.2

[almond_t]

Thanks, Poco; yes, I did 'preview' before hitting 'post', as you noted.

[wdunn5454]

The ciggarette in mention was not a ciggarette at all but a prop used in a photo shoot.

The shoot was done for the models portfolio using my corsets. The subject matter was largely up to her.  My way of helping out young people.

Thanks for your interest!

[wdunn5454]

I would also like to mention that that particular corset sold very well (in spite of the picture) AND You might want to look at my ratings before you start "pre Judging". 

[i*m-still-here]

So, wdunn5454,.............. aren't you glad you posted here?  ;).

A cigarette smoking lady in a bedroom looking like it was just used isn't the worst way to show those lovely garments off.

I guess you'd snuggle and squeeze yourself into one of those babies if she posed with Brad Pitt instead of cigarette then?

Or maybe he was busy at the time.

[wdunn5454]

Well aside from the fact that the question I posed was not even mentioned; 

I guess I was just floored. I've never taken any pictures in my/or anyone else's bedroom and all of my pictures are Very Tame compared to most of the cheap lingerie adds.

I guess some folks just have nothing better to do than gutter snipe.

Too bad, I had thought that I might get some intelligent responses from sellers who had noticed the same problem.

I'll just try to pretend that she never happened.

[i*m-still-here]

wd......... I guess no one knew how to respond because corsets is not a category the regular posters here know anything about.

I did a search for corset and saw thousands of listings with no reasonable way to narrow the search.

I have to agree with you.

A category for corsets broken down by type would be much better.

I also think that there is nothing wrong with your picture at all.

I see a photo of a seamstress doing her job with the tools of her trade in the background............ and she happens to be smoking a cigarette which is not an inappropriate prop for the item being sold.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Probably not appropriate but if one is presenting a Film Noire look, who knows.  JMO, of course.

Remember a potential Buyer could get the impression their item could arrive reeking of smoke.

Had that happen to me one time. Shirt bought from an obvious smoking home. You could imagine the smell emanating from the poly mailer, once opened, after two weeks in transit.

Oh well, another shirt to do yard work in.

[pigdog47]

I didn't happen to see the corset smoker lady, but I'm pretty sure that a corset wont prevent smoking unless it is a super constrictor.

Interested to read about steel vs plastic boning.  Who knew?

I thought the real McCoy uses whalebones.

[almond_t]

I didn't see any cigarette-smoking model in a bedroom looking like it had just been used; what I saw was a ME PAGE with a close-up of supposedly the seller ( captioned 'when I am selling on ebay') highlighting a lit cigarette with an inch of ash ready to fall off, in her office or work space.

If that was a photographer's idea of promotion, then you got sold a bill of goods. That one photo couldconceivably eliminate many prospective buyers, who would simply hit the back button and possibly never even look at another of your listings.

"Remember a potential Buyer could get the impression their item could arrive reeking of smoke."

Doesn't matter if your items reek or not ( I'll presume they don't, for politeness' sake); if the buyer hits that back button for any reason, it's all moot, isn't it. You show a smoking seller, but do not confirm whether or not your items are from a smoke-free environment or not.
I'm guessing smokers would not be concerned about that aspect, but I'm sure most non-smokers would. The picture is a big turn-off to that category of buyer, of which there are probably more than the latter.

Buyers can be judgmental if they wish; it's their dollars that are being spent. I wouldn't have any need to check the ratings of your 11 buyers because I would have already have moved on to another seller who had a confirmed non-smoking environment. Not to mention, "corsets' are not on my A-List To begin witH.

OP chose to take the comments about ebaying and smoking, personally, your problem, not mine; another poster championed smoking and ebaying, again, not my problem. The point is, why would a seller knowingly turn away half their market by a photo that many would be offended by, unnecessarily?

[almond_t]

"Had that happen to me one time. Shirt bought from an obvious smoking home. You could imagine the smell emanating from the poly mailer, once opened, after two weeks in transit"

Happened to me, once, too.  And it was a Fisher Price baby item, of all things!  Went straight into the garbage, ICK.  

Corsets, I'm sure, are too expensive to toss, if they did did smell unsavory.  

[i*m-still-here]

I understand the comments about smoking, and they may be wel-intended but Wendy didn't welcome the input........ :-).

I understand that as well..............

She was making a valid comment in relation to the lack of categories for her item.

The item is a bit edgy.......... not too much .......... just a bit............ and the photo of Wendy who seems to be taking a cigarette break in her studio is as well................

I don't know.......... but in this case, all things considered, the cigarette isn't something I would have chosen to pick on like that................ :).

It brings up strong images of Diana Vreeland .......... always with her beloved cigarettes.

I don't know if that's what Wendy was going for but IMO it's too close to be a coincidence.

Just saying".

[pigdog47]

Well, now that I see what you saw, I see your point, Almond.

[almond_t]

Perhaps 'Wendy' should welcome input from the buyers' perspective; it is information useful to a seller, regardless of the original question posed.

Buyers don't care what a seller does or does not do in their life; they ARE concerned about anything that would impact THEIR association with the seller.  Such as smoke-free, or not.  It would make sense for the seller (any seller) to pay attention to how a buyer might perceive their listings.  And that's nothing to do with 'Wendy' in particular.  A smart seller would take notice of random buyers' comments, regardless of what they sold.  Free and beneficial    information, and possibly more lucrative for them.

Just like a buyer should take note of sellers' pet peeves; it can only add to the mutual experience.

Again, nothing personal.  Sometimes a seller ( or a buyer) needs to pocket the ego and take  advice that is helpful to them, in particular.

JMPO

[bb_cool_stuff]

I don't think its personal either, just some constructive criticism.

I've had the gang offer constructive criticism on many of my listings over the years. One recently.

They are usually right.

Nice to have a different perspective as it usually something we don't even notice.

Hey, if constructive criticism equals increased sales, I'm all for it.

[i*m-still-here]

I saw this as a good snapshot of a very interesting lady.

To me it's an image that sticks in your mind, and maybe it's because of the resemblance to Diana Vreeland.

I don't know.

I suspect that the cigarette added to the impact, and again............that may because of the resemblance to D.V..

I doubt that anyone in the fashion industry ever avoided D.V. because of her smelly cigarettes.........

And I sort of doubt that anyone would avoid Wendy's garments because of her smelly cigarette either.

That said....... I completely understand how the wreak of cigarette smoke is a complete turn off when you open a package.  I do not think it's a good idea for anyone to smoke.

This, however, is an image of someone designing her own line of corsets and I think that's really neat,.

You Go Girl!